This is a platform to comment on local, state and national politics and political news. A special area of interest is the role of corporate media in politics as we move closer and closer to one huge corporation owning all of the media outlets in the country and stifling all independent and critical voices. It will also focus on the absurd 30-plus year Nixonesque political strategy of the “liberal media” lie.
This blog is on temporary hiatus because of my job and thin-skinned Republicans.

In a usually slow March election, voter turnout was very high, and Kloppenburg unseated incumbent David Prosser, a Walker pal who made it very clear how he will vote when the hastily passed union busting bill makes its way to the court.

The election was a clear referendum on the union busting efforts by Republicans in the Midwest states, and it was the first election since last November; allowing people to turn protest into action.

Going into the race after the primary election in February, incumbent David Prosser was the hands on favorite, having pulled in 55 percent of the vote over Kloppenburg, his second highest leading opponent, who received just 25 percent of the vote. After Walker’s union-busting legislation that would kill collective bargaining rights for state workers, the race became a focus for the energized Democratic base. However, A recount is expected.

The Wisconsin State Journal is reporting that the high voter turnout, double for a normal March election, has been a boon for the recall attempt of eight Republican Senators. The Journal is reporting that recall leaders got plenty of signatures outside of polling places on Tuesday, so much so that they have enough signatures to put them over the top for a second Republican recall.

The close vote indicates that not all eight will be successful, but it can change the makeup of the body, as well as keep the energy going until next year’s election. A recall of two Michigan Senators for a tax vote in 1983 gave Republicans control of the Senate they have never lost, despite more people voting for Democratic Senators in 2006 than Republicans.

I am not normally a fan of recalls for a single vote, but when that vote required you violate the law, sneak in and out of the Capitol under armed guard to make the vote and lock people out of their Capitol to do it then I would make an exception.

There is also recall attempt against a couple of the heroic Wisconsin 14 Democratic Senators who left the Capitol to deny a quorum, but it does not appear to be much of a threat. In fact, the recall against Sen. Lena Taylor, D-Milwaukee, has only two signatures so far; the organizer and his wife, and the 60-day window to gather signatures runs out April 25.

I can’t wait for next year’s election, and we only need to limit the damage Republicans can do in the next 16 months.

Yesterday saw even more good news. Faux “news” madman Glenn Beck announced he leaving his show; a victim of falling ratings and disgusted advertisers. It’s unclear if it is voluntary.

The ratings for the first quarter of 2011 showed Beck's show had lost close to a third of its audience, especially among advertiser-prized viewers ages 25 to 54, where he was down almost 40 percent. But, it was the advertisers that really did him in, and they were leaving in droves because they did not want to be associated with his crazy end-of-world conspiracy theories and racist rants.

I expect his ratings to make a surge for next couple of days and maybe weeks because people want to see what conspiracy theory he whips up and who he blames for this.

I never said it was a referendum; I said it was a preview of the 2012 election, and it is. An unheard of candidate with just 25 percent of the vote in the primary unseats an incumbent: I can’t wait until 2012.

A county election? It’s a statewide election, but it’s a start. “Will the federal budget now be balanced and the unemployment rate back down to what is was under George Bush?” What will happen is the recovery from the Bush recession will continue.

You never cease to make me laugh. Obama and my party are responsible for shutting down the government? That is too funny.

Gee, who were those people behind Mike Pence chanting “shut it down?” It was the teabaggers, genius, and those racists are Republicans, not Democrats. I have no idea why that cowardly minority has so much power, but this is what happens when you put people in charge of something they hate.

Not that it matters, but President Obama is not a liberal. In fact, that’s what you have said.

It is a good thing to keep that conservative on the Supreme court, justice will be served. I know the dems will be bringing in that same lawyer who found votes for Al Franken. Maybe it will be magic for that kloppenbanger woman too just like it was for Franken.

Will you define what you believe being a Progressive means to me? I want to know your thought process or background as to why you say the stuff you do. Thanks.

4 posts above this post "Will you define what you believe being a Progressive means to me?" What piece of punctuation am I missing? English is a fun language.

So answer the question please, you are a Progressive. What does being a Progressive mean? Your values, beliefs, etc. that type of thing. Thanks for being insulting again, youre really classing up the blog more and more.

Side bar, Glenn Becks ratings are down? http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/2011/04/07/cable-news-ratings-for-wednesday-april-6-2011/88659 Advertisers are down, since he is a bit "controversial" advertisers arent that eager to advertise on his show. you really should do research first before you start stating untruths.

A third would put him ahead of O'Reily which he has never been ahead of.

Come on "Guru" this should be super easy for you to give me/us a quick overview as to your world view. Read my blog? Does that mean you want govt control of everything nanny state, debt as far as the eye can see, and people getting taxed to death and hope the govt will take care of them? Thats what I am gathering. Oh yeah, and strike whenever you can against taxpayers who are not corporations.

You must miss what I wrote as well, all about the advertising, but at least you conceded a point and he isnt losing one third of his viewers.

Yes yes and yes by reading your blog. If youre a Progressive like you claim,this should be a simple process for you. So how do you define being a Progressive? And again what piece of punctuation was missing from that sentence? comma's amd semi-colons would not work there.

As usual, you are such a liar that you lie when you don't have to...and then you can't even recognize that your own words so obviously trip you up.

A poster makes a comment that says you reached when you called one election a referendum. Instead of debating that, you write, "I never said it was a referendum." Which is an outrageous lie, even for you, because in the third paragraph of your original post, you write, "The election was a clear referendum..."

The problem with your rant, puss boy, is I have never lied. But you are actually right; I did say it was a referendum in the third paragraph. When I answered, “a poster” I only read the first paragraph. But then again, I never referred a “county election.” But hey, thanks for the compliment, it means a lot coming from a coward who hides behind a fake name.

But, it's a nice admission that you regularly post without knowing what the heck you are talking about. Good for you to admit that, but it's something we already new.

You like name-calling. It shows a lot about your make-up. You are have a low self image of yourself and a deep-seated envy/hatred of people who you deem are more successful than you...which is just about everyone.

You can't accept your individual failings...rather than do something about it (such as be a better person), you whine about how unfair it is that others have more than you...and you want someone (government) to take from those who "have" and give it to you.

You are a pathetic person, but your attitude is understandable.

And, you keep proving my point: The more you lose, the more you result to childish rants. That's your strength. It's sad.

If you don't like anonymous posting, then ban the practice. The fact is, you only criticize anonymous posters when they point out your many errors. You don't call everyone names when they post anonymously...just those who expose your many flaws. That shows how weak you are. You don't mind anonymous posters at all, but you are embarassed by those who show how shallow and dishonest you are.

How are you a Progressive? If you say because of your beliefs, what are they? Ive told you what I thought your beliefs were, and you said no. Try tread this entire paragraph so you dont contradict yourself.